There are approximately 213,572 maps available to play on Fortnite Creative, with 205,717 of those maps—over 96% of the total—having zero active players.

Fortnite Creative, which launched in 2018 and evolved in 2023 with a new creator payout system, is rapidly growing as a platform for creators to develop and monetize their own game ideas. Its library is about one-fifth the size of Steam, one of the largest PC gaming platforms, which has been around for 15 years longer. Both platforms face similar challenges: earning players’ attention amid a vast sea of content can be more challenging than building a map from scratch.

Success within Creative is rare, but thousands of maps have managed to cut through the noise to find their audience. Creators Corp is constantly analyzing data, breaking down trends, and studying those maps that have successfully engaged Fortnite Creative’s massive audience.

In this article, we’ll break down the strategies behind three of our successful maps to provide insight into our approach to ideating for Creative.

Tackling Trends In Fortnite

Boxfight maps, deathruns, and tycoons are a few examples of map genres that have gained popularity within Fortnite Creative. Many of these trends existed outside Fortnite, creating a sense of familiarity for players and making it easier for them to understand what a game includes just by looking at the thumbnail.

The tycoon trend, for example, has led to a proliferation of games in Creative based around power fantasies set in various environments – such as aquariums, fast food chains, spy agencies, and many other themes. Tycoon maps employ passive gameplay systems, where players simply click a button to start building new items, structures, and tools. This approach has been popularized by mobile games like Clash of Clans. The gameplay mainly involves decision-making, with frequent rewards that trigger dopamine releases, contributing to the trend’s widespread appeal.

YouTuber Tycoon – built by thegirlscreative – and its estimated $925,000 in revenue is one example of a tycoon map done right. Its gameplay loop has players build a YouTube empire by earning subscribers and money through creating a more over-the-top backdrop for videos and streams. 

YouTuber Tycoon has players build a mansion, deck out their streaming setup, and live the lavish life of a YouTuber as the subscribers come rolling in. When we say “lavish,” we mean lavish as YouTuber Tycoon has found ways to incorporate Fortnite’s zany mechanics – players can buy supercars, install a usable helipad on their mansion roof, and build out an arsenal of recognizable weapons to use in fights with other players.

Weapon Tycoon was a map built to ride on the success of the tycoon trend. It takes a similar approach to YouTuber Tycoon – utilizing the huge depth of items Fortnite already has at its disposal. Players will build their weapon factory, craft new weapons, and build out their space to be more efficient and useful in their journey to become the master crafter. 

Similar to YouTuber Tycoon, players can then use those weapons to fight other players and interfere with their operations. 

Weapon Tycoon goes a step further and adds layers to the tycoon formula. It includes a variety of islands where players can test the weapons they craft on hordes of zombies and a flying minigame where players can earn rewards by collecting coins, effectively adding entirely new game modes to hold player’s attention and increase their in-game empire’s productivity.

Weapon Tycoon has been able to ride the trend, bring in 1.8 million total players, and earn nearly $100,000 in total revenue since it launched in April of 2024. 

The bar to create a successful tycoon map has raised significantly over the years. Map creators need to consider how they can further engage the player beyond the passive systems that define the mode. They also need to find ways to incorporate Fortnite’s set of mechanics, items, and systems that change with every new season. 

Pushing The Envelope Of Fortnite Creative

Most players – whether they prefer battle royale or something in Creative – have specific expectations for how Fortnite should play when they queue for a match. Fortnite is known for its colorful, arcade-like third-person shooter experience, emphasizing fun and over-the-top game mechanics.

Epic Games has intentionally encouraged games that challenge these expectations. Creative map producers have leveraged the tools provided by Fortnite’s studio to create games that explore different gameplay styles, systems, and camera angles.

Fort Who –a version of Guess Who built in Fortnite – is an example of a game that’s nothing like standard Fortnite. Just like the board game it draws inspiration from, Fort Who features two players taking turns asking one another questions in order to narrow down the character they need to guess.

Fort Who immediately resonated with players when it launched in April of 2023. It’s continued to find success as the map has earned over $1 million in revenue. 

Outside replicating the mechanics of Guess Who, Fort Who is able to utilize Fortnite’s massive cast of characters and intellectual properties. Recognizable faces from Stranger Things, Marvel, Terminator, and dozens of other properties will immediately make this version of Guess Who more expansive than many of the ones you can buy in-store or play online. 

That depth, combined with unique gameplay mechanics and regular updates that kept content fresh, helped Fort Who build a community of players that kept the game in front of Creative’s discovery tools. 

Card Chaos –a Fortnite-infused take on the Crazy Eights card game – followed a similar approach to Fort Who. The card gameplay is nothing like the traditional action that players are used to within Fortnite, bringing in 9.3 million players and $150,000 of overall revenue since its debut in August of 2023. 

Fortnite has become a platform for many players who want to engage with their friends in ways beyond combat. Both Card Chaos and Fort Who have cemented themselves as go-to maps for players like this. 

Card Chaos, for example, gained momentum when it was originally featured in the New Perspectives tab within discover. That initial push, along with a regular stream of new content, has helped it bring in a monthly average of 580,000 players. 

Building A Different Type of Brand Activation

Brand crossovers have become a staple of Fortnite, with Epic Games integrating incredible battle royale gameplay mechanics from franchises like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and even Pirates of the Caribbean. As more brands seek similar treatment, Epic Games can’t accommodate them all, leaving a significant opportunity for independent creators to step in.

These integrations can be difficult to pull off, as players are less receptive to brands like TurboTax and AT&T placing themselves front and center on Creative maps. Most brand activations follow this approach, prominently featuring the brand in the title and thumbnail. Players often don’t understand why the brand is included in the map or how it enhances their experience.

Activations like Prime Red vs Blue or TurboTax’s Millionaire Tycoon, while successful due to fun gameplay and promotion by Epic Games, fall into that same trap. One of the first things players see is the Prime drink logo or the TurboTax brand. 

Creator Corp’s Dude Perfect Dodgeball map takes a different approach to brand activations. The entire point of partnering with Dude Perfect – who primarily served as the promoter for the map – was to bring GoPro on board as a media sponsor. GoPro didn’t have any creative input on the map, and their name wasn’t included in the title or thumbnail. Instead, the GoPro brand is prominently featured within the map, including a branded selfie station, benefiting from the substantial engagement the map received.

Dude Perfect Dodgeball has reached 1 million total plays in the two months since its launch, delivering exceptional value for all parties involved. It serves as an example of a new approach to incorporating brands into the Fortnite Creative model—by featuring them organically within the map rather than centering the entire map around the brand itself.

Discovery—the process of players finding your game through recommendations, algorithms, and other means—is a significant issue in Fortnite, much like in the broader games industry. Similar to creators on Instagram and YouTube, Fortnite Creative developers face an ever-evolving set of circumstances that are often beyond their control.

Developing a strategy to address discovery is crucial for achieving success within Fortnite Creative. Creators Corp is dedicated to helping creators, brands, and players understand discovery by exploring new topics like this on a monthly basis.

The ebb and flow of discovery is a vast topic that will only become more complex as Creative continues to grow. Check back for new articles, insights, and tips.

Data and statistics from maps not created by Creators Corp, featured in this article, are sourced from Fortnite.gg.